First, we have Nehklyudov talking to Fanarin the advocate. It’s great because for the first time in a while, Nehklyudov has to ask someone else for help, which builds character.

So this happens:

‘[W]e have condemned a woman to Siberia, an innocent woman. This troubles me very much.’ Nekhlyudov, to his own surprise, blushed and became confused.

Nekkie!! D’awww. Sometimes I just think he’s so stupid. Of course it troubles you Nekkie! I just wonder what went on between him and our girl, Maslova.

So he’s scrambling to explain himself reasonably, but obviously some inner turmoil is freaking him out emotionally and he can’t quite get it together so Fanarin is condescending as heckkkk during the entire encounter. But Fanarin agrees to look over the case, and so they’re all set to discuss it Thursday, which is a relief to our homeboy, but…

At once a whole swarm of pictures and memories of Katusha and his conduct to her began whirling in his brain, and he felt depressed and everything seemed gloomy.

Ok. We need this story soon.

But…. we won’t get it right away.

Instead we get a little info in his current… conquests? Lol XD

He goes to dinner like he promised at some point at the Korchagins. And this people are richhh. We already know that something righteous has awakened in our Nekhlyudov, so it’s not surprising that he finds the excess disgusting.

The main image for this excess: Old Korchagin. UGH! He just sounds smelly, and fishy, and gross. In fact, when Nekhlyudov is invited to dine with the family, Korchy is chowing down on fish and all Nekhlyudov can think about is how cruel he remembers that Korchagin was, sending soldiers beneath him to be flogged or even hanged… because he could.

Though Nekhlyudov knew Korchagin very well, and had often seen him at dinner, today this red face with the sensual, smacking lips, the fat neck above the napkin stuck into his waistcoat, and the whole over fed military figure, struck him very disagreeably.

By now, all I’m thinking is this:

Gross.

But apparently, when Nekhlyudov does start nibbling, he finds that he’s REALLY hungry. Not surprising. This ALWAYS happens to Russian protagonists, lol. As soon as he discovered this, “he went on eating with zest” (92)!

Another thing we need to talk about: MISSY.

Ugh, this girl likes our homeboy in a major way. A majorly controlling way. In fact, during dinner:

‘Do let him eat,’ said Missy, with a smile. She used the pronoun as a reminder of her intimacy with Nekhlyudov.

She wants to OWN HIM.

But let’s talk a moment about the fantastic guidance from the author. I don’t know about you, but I don’t yet know enough about Russian culture at that time period to immediately realize that her using the pronoun “him” makes a statement, but it does. Claps to Tolstoy and/or editors to helping me out on that one.

Back to Missy: Nekkie describes her as being either perfect or defective depending on, well, depending on what? I think we know. And she might be on her way to Siberia soon. 😉

Nekhlyudov had long been wavering between two ways of regarding Missy; sometimes he looked at her as if by moonlight and could see in her nothing but what was beautiful; then suddenly, as if the bright sun shone on her, he saw her defects and could not help seeing them.

Yikes.

So to cut it short a bit, #THESERICHPEOPLE love Nekkie because:

They consider him “clever.”

His mother was an “intimate friend” of theirs, so good connections…

It was “desirable” that he marry Missy.

ughhhhhhh.

But I got two last things to say for this chapter… just a little he says/she says.

She says:

Missy was very anxious to get married, and as he ws a suitable match and she also liked him she had accustomed herself to the thought that he should be hers (not she his).

Dang, girl. Told you. Possessive.

So she can sense that something has happened (you’re dang right something has happened) and asks him about it, but he won’t divulge the details of the hearing or anything, so of course she’s offended, but listen to this!!!

He says:

He was ashamed of having hurt her, and yet he knew that the least weakness on his part would mean disaster, that is, would bind him to her. And today he feared this more than anything, and he followed her silently to the Princess’ boudoir.